Video: Threading text frames

It's time to talk about threading text frames together. I am going to zoom in on this lower part of this page and I can see a little red plus sign at the bottom of this text frame. Like if I select the text frame it becomes more obvious that red plus sign inside the red box means that there is more text than can fit inside that frame. So what are we going to do about it, Well, we could make the text frame bigger but in this case we want the text to flow on to the next column over here, so the trick here is to thread one frame to another. I've already made a text frame here in this document.

Author David Blatner provides in-depth training on InDesign CS5, the print and interactive page layout application from Adobe, in InDesign CS5 Essential Training. The course shows how to create new documents with strong and flexible master pages, precisely position text and graphics, prepare documents for print, and export designs as interactive PDF or Flash SWF files. Exercise files are included with the course.

Threading text frames

It's time to talk about threading text frames together.I am going to zoom in on this lower part of this page and I can see a little redplus sign at the bottom of this text frame.Like if I select the text frame it becomes more obvious that red plus signinside the red box means that there is more text than can fit inside that frame.So what are we going to do about it, Well, we could make the text frame biggerbut in this case we want the text to flow on to the next column over here, sothe trick here is to thread one frame to another.I've already made a text frame here in this document.

It's an empty frame and I want to thread the text from here to here.So in some programs like Quick Express, there is a Threading tool or Chainingtool or Linking tool but in, InDesign there is no special tool, the only thingyou need to know is select the frame with the regular selection tool, that blackarea tool and then Click on this little red box.And that red box is called the outport.The outport right now is red but as soon as I Click on it, it turns into aThreading Port a little blue box with a little triangle in it.

And I am going to come over here and place my cursor on top of this empty frameand you will see my cursor changes to a link icon that means it's going tothread into this frame.If I move my cursor down here where there is no empty frame, I get a regularplace cursor and I could actually drag out a new text frame if I want or clickin it, it would make a text frame for me but in this case I have an empty textframe and I want to thread from the one on the left into here.So I simply click and I am done.It threaded them together.I can see that they are threaded together by going to the View menu, choosingthe extra Submenu and choosing Show Text Threads or Command+Option+Y orCtrl+Alt+Y on Windows.

And it shows me this blue line going from the outport of the frame on the leftto the inport on the frame on the right.So every text frame has an outport and an inport and that is what we're going tobe using to thread some more of these.I am going to zoom back here with the Command+Minus or Ctrl+Minus on Windows a couple of times.Let's try it again.I am going to create a new text frame with a Type tool.I'll simply drag out a frame to fill this column here and then I'll go backto the Selection tool.I could have pressed the Escape key.That would be more efficient.Choose the frame that is coming to.

Click on the outport.Click on the frame itself.I don't have to try and find its inport, just click anywhere inside the frameand they are threaded now. Pretty good.Now let's thread it even faster.Instead of creating a text frame first I'll simply load the placed cursorby clicking on the outport here and then drag out with my placed cursor, a new frame.There I am done. Pretty good.Now what if I made a mistake, what if I don't actually want to thread these together?How can I un-thread two frames?The trick there is simply Double-Clicking on either the outport or the inport.

Here I'll double-click on the inport and it unthreads.So the frame is still here but it's no longer threaded.Now, I am going to pan over here to the right, holding on the Option +Spacebaror Alt + Spacebar temporary hand tool and I want to point out that you don'thave to link to empty frames.These are two separate frames over here on the right and I can stillthread those together.In fact, I don't even need to thread them together from the outport to the inport.I can go from the inport down here up to this frame up here and it knows thatwhat I really mean is going from here, down here.

So you can see the thread is going from the outport here into this new frame.So right now, what I did was, I threaded two frames even though they had text inthem and I went from the inport to the earlier frames.So that is also an option.It's very flexible.By the way, some people call this Linking Text frames but Linking meanssomething different in InDesign.It means maintaining a link to files on your hard drive so that if they changeInDesign changes too.I am going to talk about that in detail in a later chapter but when I talk abouttext flowing from one frame to another, I always try and say threading andInDesign is threading text frames.

Q: In the “Exporting to PDF” video, the author states "The flattener, and how to control it, is an advanced topic that I cover in a later title."
Is this “later title” available on lynda.com yet?

A: Unfortunately that title is still in development. However, the features are exactly the same in CS4, so please see Chapter 11 in InDesign CS4 Beyond the Basics.

Q: Can an image be placed into a cell in InDesign?

A: Yes, but only as an anchored (inline) object. Cut the frame with the Selection tool, switch to the Type tool, click in the cell, and Paste.

Q: Is it possible to load or import pages from one document to another in InDesign CS5?

A: Pages cannot be “loaded”, but they can be "pushed" from one document to another by choosing Layout > Pages > Move Pages.

Q: When I place an image, it is distorted or pixilated to the point of not being able to use it. I can place or open those same images in Photoshop or Illustrator and they are fine.

A: You are likely seeing the low-resolution preview. To see high resolution or vector artwork, choose View > Display Performance > High Quality.

Q: When I place an image, it is distorted or pixilated to the point of not being able to use it. I can place or open those same images in Photoshop or Illustrator and they are fine.

A: You are likely seeing the low-resolution preview. To see high resolution or vector artwork, choose View > Display Performance > High Quality.

Q: I'm looking for a tutorial that will allow me to use InDesign to create files that can be emailed. I guess they have to be converted to HTML first? Is that possible?

A: If you are trying to make an HTML email, then InDesign really isn't the tool for you. It's HTML abilities are extremely limited. Look toward Dreamweaver for that. Alternatively, you could create a layout in InDesign, then export the page as a JPEG image and put that in the email.

Q: Since I upgraded to the new version of InDesign, when I click the "edit original" button in the Links panel, the pictures open in Preview instead of Photoshop

A: If you are using the Mac OS, you may need to turn off Window > Application Frame in order to see files behind InDesign (such as those on the Finder Desktop). If you are on Windows, you are seeing a difference between Mac and Windows. In Windows, the application is always living inside the application frame. If you un-maximize the windows frame, you can drag it smaller so you see the desktop and drag to or from it.

Q: I am currently working on an InDesign document originally created in Spanish. I am translating it to English and I need to change the language preference to be able to use the spell check in English. I have changed it in Preferences, but when I go to do the spell check on the document it is still in Spanish. How can I change the spell check to English?

A: Changing the language in preferences does not change the document or text language. You need to change the langauge in the paragraph style or the character style or in the Character panel or the Control panel (select the text first).

Q: In the movie, "Inserting, deleting, and moving pages" the author claims you can Shift-click text and the red overset symbol (a plus sign) will disappear. This isn't working for me.

A: Shift-clicking to make text automatically flow to the next text box or boxes only works when you place text from a loaded cursor. Shift-clicking existing text will not affect it.

Instead, if the overset text symbol appears in an existing text frame, choose the Selection tool and click the symbol to load the text in your cursor. Then Shift-click inside the next text frame to start it auto-flowing from there.

Q: I want to add a 2-page spread following a 1-page spread, but when I insert two new pages, InDesign creates a 3-page spread. How do I solve this?

Q: The keys used for navigating to the previous or next spread in a layout (Command+Page Up/Command+Page Down) don't appear on my laptop keyboard and the arrow keys don't work. What keys should I use?

A: Most laptop keyboards don't have these keys anymore. Look for a "modifier" key (such as the Alt or Fn keys) to press to access these keys. For example, on a Macbook Pro, you'd press Command and then Fn+Up Arrow to invoke Next Spread.

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